Veneration
by Theia Noire
Summary: A small moment of Neo and Trinity from the first movie. She is very charming, but there is no chance of him admitting it out loud.


**A/N: **I wrote this after re-watching The Matrix and played with a question: What if Neo is actually awake when Trinity enters his room? Hope this short piece is to your liking. Each review and advice is greatly appreciated.

.::.::.::.::.::.

It was indeed a long day, and Neo had fallen into slumber as soon as his body touched the mild comfort his bunk offered. His mind skipped the dreaming phase and went straight into deep sleep as a result the training simulations had caused him.

And yet, the squeak of the door opening woke him up almost immediately.

As his mind swam to the surface of his consciousness, Neo could make the faint, apparently feminine steps entering his room. A confusion started to build inside his head: Who could possibly be entering his room at such a time, and what for?

The steps were quick and deliberately gentle, as if the owner didn't want to wake him. Switch didn't seem to be that careful, a part of Neo's mind that was already awake pondered. She would have stormed right in and woke him up in her briskness. There were only two female crews aboard the Nebuchadnezzar, so all that was left was...

Trinity.

Neo's eyes twitched in the split second he was to open his eyes, but he pressed his lids back shut. Neo rearranged his breathing and relaxed his posture, hoping that Trinity wouldn't notice his sudden tension.

The steps stopped, and the presence was now right next to him. Neo kept his charade, waiting, until there was a sound of something metallic being put near his bunk.

Neo heard a sigh, and then the presence left his room.

Neo cracked his eyes open a minuscule of width, making sure there was no one in the room. He was about to sit up when the first muffled mumble was heard. Hurriedly, he set himself back down the bunk bed, in case someone was going back in. Two voices. Neo couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but he was able to catch a couple of words. "Remember", and "believer".

The word brought another surge of nausea into Neo's stomach. The whole truth about the world, the whole fuss about his supposed fate, it was all still too much for him to fully comprehend. They couldn't possibly be hoping for him to be the salvation of all mankind, right? Not him. What was so special about him that had led Morpheus to believe that he was the One?

Neo sat up and pressed his head onto the metal wall. The cold touch on his head, through the still-thin layer of hair, provided a distraction so as not to feel so nauseated. Neo closed his eyes and waited for it to disappear completely, immersing himself in the somehow calming hum of the ship.

Instead of letting his mind wander, once the nausea receded, he climbed down his bunk to check on the thing Trinity had brought. It was a tray with two containers. One was filled with water, the other with the pale mush that was food. Dinner. Neo's stomach rumbled spontaneously at the sight of food; he hadn't realized he was that hungry.

"Tasty," Neo mumbled to himself and lifted the tray onto his lap after he sat down on the bunk.

The food tasted like cardboard, but Neo downed it like a hungry wolf. By the time he was finished, the tray and its contents tucked under the bunk, exhaustion began to wash over him. Neo remembered tumbling down onto the bunk and closing his eyes, before sleep claimed him once again.

.::.::.::.::.::.

Neo woke up abruptly the next morning—was it morning? He couldn't tell. His eyes flew open, meeting the low, grey ceiling. He inhaled deeply and stood up, after getting the tray. There was a certain gloom about the ship that seemed to follow him everywhere. It felt draining, somehow, yet at the same time exhilarating. At least the whole thing felt real.

The dining area didn't seem crowded when Neo approached. It was past breakfast, then. Good, he could hurry and—

"Neo, is that you?"

Trinity's voice made his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah." Neo walked past the door, wearing a shy smile. "Sorry. Don't mean to sneak up."

"It's okay." Trinity shrugged, a hint of her rare smile barely visible. "You're up late, though."

"Sorry," Neo muttered once again. He was still unsure of how to interact with Trinity. She seemed important, and strong in both sense of the word, so he knew enough not to get on her bad side. But she was still Trinity, who'd successfully hacked into the IRS database at God-knew-how-old-she-was-when-she-did, and one of the people—well, hackers—whom he'd admired. "Yesterday was tough."

She was also very charming, but there was no chance that he would admit that out loud.

"First sessions always are." Trinity's eyes were scrutinizing him, and Neo fought the urge to squirm under her stare.

"Guess so." Neo opened his mouth, about to say thank you for bringing him dinner, but decided against it. Trinity would probably like to keep her action anonymous.

So instead, he said, "Good thing someone brought me this last night." He gestured to the tray in his hands and put it on the counter, reaching for another bowl to fill with more one-celled protein mush.

"Oh. Good for you." Trinity's tone and expression were devoid of any clue that she might know anything about that.

It made Neo smiled a bit as he took a seat across the woman. Trinity raised her eyebrows quizzically, probably at said smile, but Neo pretended not to notice and began eating. He made a mental note that Trinity's bowl was nearly empty, but she showed no signs of leaving.

It felt too awkward for Neo to start another conversation, despite the many questions flying around his mind, so he continued to eat in silence, averting Trinity's direct gaze. Despite this, however, Neo was quietly observing Trinity. Between the way she sat, almost ramrod straight, and the inquisitive aura she radiated, Neo was bound to feel intimidated.

And he was, a bit.

But above all, there was something about the way Trinity carried herself that was so fascinating, to him. No, not fascinating—attractive. Every time she within his line of sight, Neo had caught himself staring at those bright eyes, that jet-black hair, that pale, pale skin...

"Trinity? Oh, good, you're here, too, Neo." Tank's voice called out, shaking Neo off his own thoughts. "Morpheus is waiting for you."

Trinity immediately stood up. "Visit to the Oracle?"

"Yep."

"Be there in a moment." Tank nodded and went by as Trinity turned to Neo. "You might want to hurry."

"Hurrying, Ma'am," Neo instantly answered before realizing his mistake. Trinity didn't seem like the type who liked being called 'ma'am'. "I mean, Trinity."

Neo could've sworn he saw the glint in Trinity's eyes and the slight pull at the edges of her lips. "Just finish your food."

So Neo did, and hurried after the quick steps of the woman.


End file.
